Mother Nature was kinder to kids attending the OPP Kids Day than it has been to anglers seeking tagged perch.
Hundreds of kids took advantage of a sunny Saturday and gathered at Tudhope Park to participate in various activities, such as a sack race, drill marches, target practice and learning about perch.
“I learned what fish look like,” said Grace Salata, 9, adding the whole day was fun and nice. “They also told us how to tell two (fish) apart.”
Doug Bunker, organizer of the Perch Festival, said he was glad the weather had cleared for the day. The topsy-turvy weather has turned the festival into a bit of an adventure, he added.
“The start was like the April ice age and no one could catch fish,” said Bunker, referring to the fact that hardly any fish were caught and brought in during the first week of the festival, which kicked off April 21 and ends May 12.
The number of anglers is, as usual, around 900, he said.
Those who were still out ice fishing were able to catch some perch, Bunker said. The lakes were covered with ice until about 10 days ago, but once it cleared up, the number of fish being brought in daily went up.
“All of a sudden, when the ice is gone, the fish started biting and coming in big-time,” said Bunker, adding that more than 500 fish were brought in this week.
Yet, none of the 65 tagged fish have been caught.
“And this is a frustrating part, not only for me, but for anglers,” said Bunker. “Because they can actually see the fish through the water.”
Despite being within reach, he said, fishermen say the fish are not biting.
“I’m sure it’s the same reason as it was last year: there are minnows everywhere,” said Bunker. “That’s what they (perch) eat. That makes it really tough, because you would need to have a really good presentation to get perch to bite.”
He said with good weather this weekend, he’s hoping some tagged perch will be caught.
Even though the daily draw is a big component of the festival, Bunker said the tagged fish is the most attractive part, because it means bigger prizes.
“This time, the best fishing will be toward the end,” Bunker said, explaining the festival is extended over 22 days to account for weather.
On the other hand, he said, “Sometimes when the ice goes out too early, we miss the run. However, we go on, the fishermen keep coming,” Bunker said.
It’s still the largest derby in Canada, he noted, adding when the festival started 38 years ago, there was nothing like it. Now there more tournaments have sprung up around the province and country.
The OPP Kids Day ended with a prize distribution ceremony, a popular part of the day’s activities that ended at 1 p.m.
